Esther Salifu
The Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arab said a tragic petrol tanker explosion has occurred on Sunday around 12:30 am along Lapai-Agaie, 2km from the Dendo community in Agaie LGA claiming 50 lives.
He said the petrol tanker loaded with PMS collided with a truck carrying travelers and cattle from Wudil in Kano State, heading to Lagos.
“Two other vehicles, a crane truck and a pickup van, were also caught in the inferno.
Initially, 30 bodies were reported, but following further search and rescue operations, 18 more bodies were recovered, bringing the total number of fatalities to 48. Over 50 cattle were also burnt in the disaster.”
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) responded quickly to the incident, with their Rapid Respond Team working in conjunction with the Local Government Emergency Management Committees to conduct search and rescue operations.
“However, due to the severity of the burns, the victims were unable to be identified, necessitating a mass burial.
The tragic incident highlights the importance of road safety and the need for urgent measures to prevent such disasters in the future.
” The people of Niger State and Nigeria as a whole are in mourning, and our thoughts are with the families of the victims”, he said.